Education Commons^™

Building The Foundation For A Trauma Responsive School, Katie Berger, Takeisha Rheams

Staff Publications & Research

The social emotional health of gifted students continues to be a priority for counselors, faculty, residence life staff and administrators. This session will provide an overview of the trauma responsive schools designation pilot that IMSA participated in with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, with the purpose of identifying an effective, sustainable and scalable model of consultation to determine the optimal support for students. Participants will gain resources to build an interdisciplinary trauma responsive school team, develop a trauma responsive action plan, and understand metrics for success to become a trauma informed and trauma responsive school.

Examining Mental Health And Resiliency Factors Of Gifted And Talented Students Participating In An Accelerative, Residential Program, Kevin Kusy

Staff Publications & Research

Early intervention around mental health and wellness is a vital piece for the school system to address when working holistically with students. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) emphasize the importance for schools to develop a comprehensive systemic framework around the academic, social, and emotional needs of students. By using the Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS), school districts can administer Universal Mental Health Screening (UMHS), a Tier 1 intervention, to help identify students who may be considered at risk for mental health and wellness issues. Unfortunately, less than 15% of …

Universal Mental Health Screenings: The Whats, Whys, And Hows, Kevin Kusy

Staff Publications & Research

According to the CDC, 6.1 million children aged 2-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, 4.4 million with anxiety, and 1.9 million with depression. Because our schools play a pivotal role in the lives of children and families, early intervention and prevention within our schools makes logical sense. During this presentation, universal mental health screening will be discussed: what it is, why it is relevant, and how to implement it in your community.

Universal Mental Health Screenings: The Whats, Whys, And Hows, Kevin Kusy

Staff Publications & Research

According to the CDC, 6.1 million children aged 2-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, 4.4 million with anxiety, and 1.9 million with depression. Because our schools play a pivotal role in the lives of children and families, early intervention and prevention within our schools makes logical sense. During this presentation, universal mental health screening will be discussed: what it is, why it is relevant, and how to implement it in your community.

The Cultivation Of Psychosocial Skills For High Performance Within Educational Programs, Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, Rena F. Subotnik, Katie Berger, Susan Gold, Christi Wilkins

Staff Publications & Research

Gifted specialists recognize the importance of psychosocial skills to high achievement but rarely deliberately focus on them in their programming. We present case studies of systematic efforts to cultivate these skills in three different contexts: a K-12 gifted school, selective STEM high school, and community-based program. Participants learn effective ways to incorporate psychosocial skill training into their program models.

Stress In Education: Finding Solutions To Combat Negativity And Burnout, Kevin Kusy, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll

Staff Publications & Research

Working in education can be one of the most fulfilling jobs, but the current climate for many staff is filled with stress and frustration. With teachers feeling underappreciated and overworked, mental health issues are on the rise and the climate of many schools has had a negative turn. This session will discuss topics around compassion fatigue, negativity, not feeling connected, and overall discomfort to change.

Techniques For Supporting Advanced Learners' Social-Emotional Needs In The Classroom, Kevin Kusy

Staff Publications & Research

This session explores techniques for supporting advanced learners social-emotionally in the classroom. Topics will include addressing challenges related to anxiety, perfectionism, as well as building teacher awareness of potential trauma. This session is geared to middle school and high school, but elementary level teachers are also welcome.

Building A Positive Culture Around Mental Health, Kevin Kusy

Staff Publications & Research

Creating a safe and open environment for students and staff to talk about mental health and wellness is a key to developing healthy, productive students. This session will discuss how to effectively develop and sustain mental health interventions within an educational setting.

Discussing Multiculturally Competent Counseling With Gifted And Talented Students, Kevin Kusy

Staff Publications & Research

IMSA strives to advocate for students of all cultural backgrounds and wants to meet or exceed multicultural counseling competencies established when working with talented students. Current competency based counseling models address multicultural concepts but do not integrate framework to include social justice advocacy. This presentation will attempt to start to bridge the gap to more inclusive-based counseling work with talented students

Who Is A Gifted Or Talented Student?, Kevin Kusy

Staff Publications & Research

Identifying our high functioning, talented students. Discuss some of the current challenges these students face. Identify ways for counselors to provide multicultural competency when working with these students and for teachers to learn how to better encourage social/emotional development in the classroom.

Leadership Education And Development In Stem High Schools, Andrea Stuiber, Katie Berger

Staff Publications & Research

Leadership. Education. Development. How are we inspiring young adults to grow as good and ethical leaders? Leadership should not be defined by a title or label. It’s about developing the perspective, skills and personal style of the whole individual. Through the LEAD program at IMSA, we believe that leadership can be learned through discussion and application. Thus, we have designed a year long course that takes an intricate look at various definitions, theories, models, and conceptualizations of leadership. Students are challenged to think critically about leadership during peer-to-peer facilitated class discussions, hands-on exercises, and group work.

Asynchronous Gifted Students & Human Rights Education: A Residential Life Curriculum Guide Aimed At Supporting Subcultures And Underrepresented Populations, Derek M. Lough

Staff Publications & Research

This Masters Field Project for the International & Multicultural Education Department at the University of San Francisco serves to provide an incomplete, but fairly comprehensive guide to studies that describe the general educational situations of subcultures and underrepresented populations within the context of gifted education and the framework of human rights education. The programs within it adhere to the standards set for Residential Life at the Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy, follow Dr. Monisha Bajaj's six steps for a complete human rights education in the field while also incorporating Dabrowski's Theory of Disintegration.

Watts Cooking: Using A Microwave To Prepare Bacterial Media For Inquiry-Based Experiments, Judith A. Scheppler

Staff Publications & Research

Microbiology provides an excellent opportunity to capture student interest, encourage exploration, and to begin the development of research skills. With a low power microwave, similar to the type found in homes, and a short list of materials easily obtainable and/or found in many biology laboratories, you can begin to open this exciting world to your life science and biology classes. Microwaves are available at very reasonable prices, and can substitute for a much more expensive laboratory autoclave. Your students can choose and design inquiry investigations as well as learn basic laboratory techniques.

College Latino Students: Cultural Integration, Retention, And Successful Completion, Robert Hernandez

Staff Publications & Research

The purpose of this study was to examine and gain a deeper understanding of Latino College students' sub-cultures and how their cultural integration can affect their retention and completion of a baccalaureate degree. Also, this study sought to understand the cultural factors that influenced student retention. The participants were given a survey to complete for demographic information, and then were interviewed to capture each of their stories and experiences.

Twenty participants were involved in the study. All of the participants were self-identified as Latinos and came from several different, four-year, residential universities. There were nine men and eleven women. Of …